Using benchmarking data for assessing performance in occupational therapy

Abstract

Comparing outcome data derived from patients receiving treatment in different sites can identify different practice worthy of further examination. This paper illustrates an approach to benchmarking with data collected on 1,711 patients who have received occupational therapy in nine healthcare trusts. Detailed results of 288 patients indicate that there were differences between the services in the patients referred for occupational therapy, they were discharged at different points in their recovery and different amounts of gain were achieved during the treatment period. In order to interpret the reasons for the variation meaning needs to be added to the data. While casemix is an important consideration and may account for many of these differences, it would also appear that investigation of the different processes of care in different trusts may warrant further study.

Therapy outcome measures: Where are we now?

“…Enderby and her research team have conducted a number of studies using the TOM as an outcome indicator. These studies have involved working with rehabilitation professionals, including SLPs, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nursing staff, and intermediate care teams, and have investigated the outcomes associated with different client groups and the similarities and differences in outcomes of care provided by different services (Enderby, et al, 1998;Enderby & John, 1999;John, Hughes, Enderby, 2002;Enderby, Hughes, John, & Petheram, 2003;John et al, 2000;John, Enderby, Hughes, & Petheram, 2001;John, Enderby, & Hughes, 2005a,b;Nancarrow, Enderby, Moran, Dixon, Parker, Bradburn, et al, 2009;Parker et al, 2009;Roulstone, John, Hughes, & Enderby, 2004). The use of the TOM in studies to benchmark outcomes in SLP and other rehabilitation services has utilised internal and external benchmarking strategies to produce outcome data for individual services and to provide overall benchmarks for comparative purposes.…”

Impact of occupational therapy in an integrated adult social care service: Audit of Therapy Outcome Measure Findings

“…However, without controlling all variables it is difficult to purely attribute all change to occupational therapy. Using data from TOMs allows associations between nature and type of services and use of benchmarking (Enderby et al, 2003) across health and social care services can assist in making associations between relationships.…”

“…assist purchasers of services across health and social care commissioning (Enderby et al, 2003) to identify effective services. Medical and social care outcomes differ; medical indictors are concerned with disease, whereas social care focuses on a wider holistic measure of health relating to overall quality of life and maintenance (Dickinson and O'Flynn, 2016).…”

A Comparison of Client Outcomes from Two Acute Care Neurological Services Using Self-Care Data from the Australian Therapy Outcome Measures for Occupational Therapy (AusTOMs - OT)

“…Therefore, benchmarking is one way to assure quality and deliver best practice (Bullivant 1996). For example, in the United Kingdom, Enderby et al (2003) compared TOM outcomes for clients with acquired neurological diseases at one National Health Service trust against the mean performance of clients from six other trusts. The results indicated several possible areas for improvement in service delivery in relation to the benchmarks.…”